Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens

Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford
Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference.

Westerns and alien invasion flicks both have their cliches, and the idea of mashing the two together is a clever one — that kind of genre smashing has done well in the past (“Shaun of the Dead” remains my favorite example). “Cowboys & Aliens” held great promise when its previews first started showing, and while it doesn’t quite live up to its potential, it’s still a lot of fun.

Captain America

Captain America

It’s still summer, and “Captain America” is a summer superhero movie if there ever was one. It takes us to a 1940s America where the little guy can achieve beyond his wildest dreams, and where good people can destroy evil with tenacity, luck, and a strong jawline.

Viva Riva!

Viva Riva!

Directed by: Djo Munga
Starring: Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna
Rated: R for strong sexuality, graphic nudity, brutal violence, language, and some drug use.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a very different place from the settings of most gangster films we see here in the States, but “Viva Riva!” would be right at home in a collection of underworld movies. This is a mostly by-the-numbers tale of a young criminal trying to make it big. Filmed in French and Lingala, the subtitles may provide a gloss to cover the occasional flaws for some.

Beginners

Written and Directed by: Mike Mills Starring: Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, Christopher Plummer, Goran Visnjic Rated: R for language and some sexual content

Green Lantern

Directed by: Martin Campbell Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action

Super 8

Written & Directed by: J.J. Abrams Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Ryan Lee, Riley Griffiths, Kyle Chandler, Noah Emmerich Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and some drug use

X-Men: First Class

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn Starring: Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Jason Flemyng Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some sexual content including brief partial nudity, and language

Priest

Directed by: Scott Charles Stewart Starring: Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Lily Collins Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and brief strong language.

Fast Five

Directed by: Justin Lin Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Joaquim de Almeida Rated: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language).